League of Extraordinary Gentlemen belongs to Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill.

Story set during volume 2 of comics, edited by kelles and dedicated to Dreadnot.

A Goodnight Kiss

Hyde entered to her room past midnight, once he was certain she was in a deep slumber. He listened to her body sliding inside the sheets after the light coming down her door vanished. Soon her breath shortened, muffled gasps arrived to his sensitive ears – Miss Murray was having a nightmare.

Chuckling, Edward shut the door after him. A few drops of Henry's potent sleeping formula he had poured into her tea was enough to make her remain asleep until he was over. That was the only way his spineless 'better' side rest.

Mina had started to sweat he could smell her fear it reminded Hyde she was a simple woman, like those whores he had mercilessly murdered in the past. It could be so easy, she was there, defenceless for his taking.

He approached the bed, skilfully dodging the furniture in his path.

Mina groaned, rolling to her right - her hair was loose and felt so silky beneath his digits. Soft, he thought, releasing his hold there to ignite the oil lamp. The dim light illuminated her pale complexion, her features were tense and her skin glowed from the fear droplets.

Edward's hand travelled from her dark hair to the red scarf around her neck. Even in bed, Miss Murray shielded herself from the world. He pressed his fingers there, inducing a terrified squeak. Her throat was as fragile as the rest of her; she was made of fine china but with a small crack, Mina would break beyond repair.

His right hand joined the left one in the neck, Edward decided to accomplish the task for what he had schemed for a couple of months – removing the bloody cloth from her neck. He did the quest slowly, almost masochistic for him to make the wait sweater.

Her neck was worse than he had imagined, bruises and marks everywhere; it was covered by them. Edward felt Henry shuddering, picturing how they looked when fresh and pouring blood. He fingered one of the marks, making Mina freeze in her recoils.

He was infuriated, his blood boiled inside his veins. That beast had marked her; someone had dared to put their scent in his Miss Muray. Growling beneath his breath, Edward bent over, ready to bite down over the spots, to ravage her as the previous monster did until there was no doubt she now belonged to him instead.

He's worse than me, Edward suddenly recalled his previous conversation with Miss Murray; if he did that now, he would lose her. Hyde was a better man than the cretin who reaped this over her. Focus on your task, he told himself (or was it Henry who was speaking to his mind as some sort of angel over his shoulder?), all thoughts of violence nearly forgotten – the urge to rape her would always remain unfilled. Slowly, he pressed his calloused lips on the scars of her neck the brief contact brought her an instant of peace and gave him a second of truce between Jekyll and Hyde.

His tongue tasted her flavour, beneath the colognes and soap, the marredflesh reeked – Miss Murray's throat smelled to death, thus she would live. For it was the opposite of those silky skinned harlots he had disposed of in the past.

He left the chambers without further ado, returning the scarf to its former place. His stealth was faulty, for the Invisible Maniac surprised him when he was at the end of the corridor. As usual, he pretended to not be able to notice his body temperature and location.

"What were you doing, Hyde? Hidden activities?" Griffin questioned.

Hyde did his best to appear both startled and infuriated. "It's none of your concern - move if you are in my way or I will crush you, Mr. Griffin. On a second thought," he chuckled darkly, "Remain exactly where you are."

"Easy, easy, Hyde. One would think a Rendezvous in the middle of the night with the lady would get you in better mood."

"It wasn't what you think."

Griffin still did not move and Hyde was tempted to swat him as the mosquito he was. "Then?"

"Nothing more and nothing less than a goodnight kiss before going to bed."